Tony Stark (Earth-2004)
Anthony Edward "Tony" Stark is a billionaire industrialist, inventor, a founding member of the Avengers, and the former CEO of Stark Industries, a company originally started by his father, Howard Stark. Stark was self-described as a genius, billionaire, playboy and philanthropist. With his great wealth and exceptional technical knowledge, Stark was one of the world's most powerful men, and enjoyed the playboy lifestyle for many years until he was kidnapped by the Ten Rings in Afghanistan. With his life on the line, Stark created an armored suit which he used to escape his captors, returning home and becoming known as an Iron Man, Eventully becoming a founding member of the Avengers. History Anthony Edward "Tony" Stark was born on Friday, May 29, 1970, in Manhattan, New York, to legendary innovator, Manhattan Project engineer and weapons developer Howardand Maria Stark. Howard had hired a butler named Edwin Jarvis before Tony was born. Jarvis became a good friend to Tony as he grew older. He watched over Tony throughout all of his childhood. Tony's early life was often dominated by the absence of his own father who he would later describe as both 'cold' and 'calculating'. Growing up Tony had issues with his father, who Tony has said never told his son that he loved him, or even that he liked him. Since Tony was so young, Howard never was able to tell him his plans for him. Tony's father would constantly talk about his friend Captain America, to inspire Tony to do great things in life, which highly annoyed young Tony Stark At an early age, Stark quickly stole the spotlight with his brilliant and unique mind. When he was four years old, he made his first circuit board. When he was almost seven, he built a V8 motorbike engine. At sixteen, he won the 4th Annual M.I.T. Robot Design Award. When Tony was seventeen, he graduated from M.I.T. He also met James "Rhodey" Rhodes, and they became best friends. While he was in high school, Stark hacked into the Pentagon on a dare by some friends. In December 1991, when Tony was just twenty one, Howardand Maria prepared to go away for a few days and leave him alone, although his father remained skeptical about how responsible Tony would be while they were gone. Sadly, they died in a car crash in Long Island, leading Stark to become driven in grief for their deaths. Not long afterwards, Jarvis also died. A few months later, at age 21, Stark inherited Stark Industries, a chief weapons manufacturer for the U.S. military, becoming the youngest CEO of a Fortune 500 company in history. Having built himself a custom mansion, Stark made an A.I. system that helped out in the house. He named the system "Just a Rather Very Intelligent System", shortened J.A.R.V.I.S., in tribute to his late butler Edwin Jarvis whom he had often credited for helping to raise him. Eventually, James Rhodes joined the United States Air Forceand became the liaison between Stark Industries and the United States Armed Forces, successfully earning Stark billions of dollars. Under Stark's leadership with the aid of Obadiah Stane, Stark Industries quickly thrived and became one of the most advanced companies in the world, creating new forms of weapons technology that seemed highly futuristic to most looking on at the weapons. Road to Iron Man Years later in 2003, Stark continued to head Stark Industries. Following a weapons test in Afghanistan, Stark and Stane rode back towards the airport, where their car was ambushed. Stand got away in another truck but Starsk was pinned down by enemy fire, leading to all the solders with Tony being killed and Tony himself being kidnapped by a terrost group called the Ten Rings, led by the Mandarin. However, it was a trick, as Stane had secretly made a deal with the Ten Rings so he could take over Stark Industries. Trapped and alone, Stark had only what was with him, and used the metals In his cell with the help of fellow captive Ho Yinsin to build a suit capable of taking them to freedom. Hinson finally put in an experimental power core he called an Arc Reactor, before members of the Ten Rings saw what they were up to. Ho led them away, and was killed in the process, but his sacrifice allowed Stark to escape, and catch up to Stane, who fled America and Stark Industries. Tony later advanced the suit, and became Iron Man, returning to Afghanistan and after a long fight, killing the Mandarin and putting an end to the Ten Rings. Stane had escaped though, with plans to build a suit of his own. He then went on to fight other villains, and during a fight with Arthur Parks, Iron Mans identity as Stark became public. The Avengers Following Stark tracking down and fighting Stane once again, where he escaped once again, Tony was approched by S.H.E.I.L.D Director Nick Fury, who, having seen Stark in action, wanted to recruit him for the Avengers Initiative. Although he intally turned it down, Iron Man ended up joining the team alongside Steve Rogers, Bruce Banner, Thor, Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff to defend New York from army of aliens led by Thor's adopted brother Loki. Victorious, the Avengers contiued working as a team. Iron Man adventures Returning to his mansion, Stark was greeted by J.A.R.V.I.S.who updated him on the fallout from his meeting with Senator Stern. While Stark listened to the news, he pulled out his Arc Reactor and examined the damaged palladium core which was slowly killing him, with J.A.R.V.I.S. noting that a replacement had not yet been found that could both power his many Iron Man Armors and also still keep him alive. Uncertain of his chances of survival, Stark decided to appoint his former personal assistant Pepper Potts into the role he no longer was interested in, CEO of Stark Industries. When Potts arrived in his workshop, she and Stark had an argument about Stark's own lack of interest in his company and their resources ever since becoming Iron Man at which point he informed her that he had decided to promote her. Although Potts did not at first believe that Stark was being serious with this idea, Stark had Dum-E deliver some champagne to them as he confirmed that this would be happening and she was the perfect person to take the job over from him. Stark traveled to Monaco with Pepper Potts and Happy Hogan. There Stark and Potts encountered Justin Hammer, who smugly tried to show off that he was being interviewed by Christine Everhart for an upcoming piece for Vanity Fair; Stark quickly made it clear of his own romantic history with Everhart and noted that Hammer Industries had lost their contract with the United States Armed Forces due to his embarrassing performance at the senate committee hearing. Growing increasingly despondent and thrill-seeking as a direct consequence of what he believed to be his impending death, Stark decided to take the Stark Industries car intended for the track and race it at the Monaco Grand Prix. As he stepped into the car, with all the cameras now facing him, Stark gave a look which he knew would be viewed by Justin Hammer, much to Hammer's annoyance as he would once again be taking the spotlight away. As Stark drove around the track, Ivan Vanko, who had successfully constructed an Arc Reactor of his own, along with whip-like energy weapons, attacked him, using the whips to cut off the front of his car and cause it to crash along with several other race cars. Despite Stark's best efforts to gain the upper hand once he escaped from the car before it could be sliced in half, Whiplash's armored weapons managed to get the better of Stark who was defenseless. Stark called his suit to him, and fought Whiplash, defeating him and locking him up in prison. Stark later cured himself by finding a new element to replace the palladium core. Stark returned to work at a hectic pace, often sleeping in his lab. A former classmate of his named Maya Hansen asked for help, a super soldier project named Extremis had been given to a small terrorist group Iron Man battled the augmented terrorist Mallen, but suffered massive injuries. Being forced to use Extremis on himself, Iron Man healed and found himself able to directly interface with technology, especially with his new armor.Going after Mallen again, the terrorist forced Tony's hand, and he had to kill him. Stark began to panic as threats to world safty grew to be almost weekly, with so many enchanced beings around. Stark created Ultron, hoping it would give the world the peace it needed. The Mind Games Shadow War Category:Earth-2004 Category:Versions of Iron Man Category:Earth-2004 Stars